Towards Developing an Indirect Video Visibility System for Large Trucks

Abstract

Large trucks were involved in approximately 14,800 crashes between April 2001 and December 2003 as a result of making lane changes and merges (Starnes, 2006). The elimination of blind spots may help drivers avoid such conflicts by improving their spatial awareness of surrounding vehicles. This study investigated the ability of two candidate Camera/Video Imaging Systems (C/VISs) to provide information on longitudinal clearance to an adjacent vehicle. Sixteen commercial vehicle drivers performed merge maneuvers in front of an adjacent confederate vehicle while driving a tractor-trailer on the Virginia Smart Road. Both C/VIS enhancements were found to significantly improve gap judgment and merge performance. Performance differences between the two C/VIS concepts are examined.

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References

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (2006). “What is a No-Zone”. Retrieved December 11, 2007 from http://www.sharetheroadsafely.org/noZone/whatIsTheNoZone.asp.

Starnes

(2006). Large-Truck Crash Causation Study: An Initial Overview. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (August).

Indiana University of Pennsylvania in cooperation with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (2007). Model Training Curriculum for Teaching Students about Sharing the Road Safely with Commercial Motor Vehicles.

Wierwille

W. W.

Schaudt

W. A.

Spaulding

J. M.

Gupta

S. K.

Fitch

G. M.

Hanowski

R. J.

(2007a). Development of a Performance Specification for Camera/Video Imaging Systems on Heavy Vehicles: Final Report, Supporting Research. (Contract No. DTNH22–05-D-01019, Task Order 5, Track 2.) Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (July).